Understand how a siren works. The heart of a mechanical siren is a spinning cylinder, or rotor, inside a stationary object, or stator. Both the rotor and the stator have holes cut at regular intervals, so air is alternately blocked and forced through. This results in a wave of pressure through the air, or in other words, a sound wave.^[1]Because this design involves heavy materials moving at high speeds, a homemade siren can be difficult to make and potentially dangerous to operate. Starting with a siren rotor no more than 6 inches (15 centimeters) across is recommended. This can still be quite loud if attached to a motor.

• Alternatively, you can purchase a kit or download a plan for building an electronic siren. These use circuitry to send out a sound wave instead of mechanical air flow, and building them does not require any carpentry.
• While these instructions assumes you are using wood, it is possible to build a small siren out of almost any material. Try using thick cardboard, or a wide, shallow cookie tin.

Cut out two or three plywood circles. To make a simple, one-pitch siren, you'll only need two circles. If you would like a siren that has the distinct, two-tone sound of an air raid siren, cut out three circles instead. Trace each circle to the same size using a compass or circular object, then cut them out using a jigsaw or router. Optionally, for greater accuracy, attach a circle-cutting jig to your jigsaw before cutting.^[2]

• Circles no more than 6 in. (15 cm) across are recommended for your first siren. A larger circle can produce a louder noise, but this will require a more powerful motor and more careful building to prevent the siren from breaking during use.
• Eye protection is recommended while handling high-speed saws.

Cut out six shark fin shapes out of wood. Cut out your "shark fin" piece of plywood, and use it to trace the same shape onto a length of 2 x 4 (38 x 89 mm), six times. Use your jigsaw or router to cut out these shapes.

• If making a dual-tone siren with three plywood circles, ^[3]

Glue the shark fins onto the first plywood circle. Arrange the "shark fins" around the circumference of the plywood circle, so their bases are even with the circle's edge, and the tips tapers in pointing toward the center. Space these evenly, so you can see curved channels between them where the air will be pushed through from the center outward. Use a strong carpenter's glue to attach these to the surface, and clamp the plywood and the "shark fins" firmly together while the glue dries.

• Check the label of your adhesive to find out how long it takes to dry.
• If, after the glue has dried, you can pull off or move the wooden fins, repeat with a stronger glue or a stronger clamp.

Balance the rotor. Find a marble or other perfectly round object, and fit it into the small hole on the plywood circle, where the shaft will eventually go. Place the entire rotor on a flat surface, resting on top of this marble, and attempt to balance it. When the rotor falls over onto one side, mark which side that is and remove some weight from that side by drilling holes through the plywood circle, near the circumference, or through the ends of the shark fin shapes.^[4] Repeat until the rotor is as balanced as possible, to minimize stress on the siren during operation.

Cut a hole in a plywood board, larger than the cylinder. The cylinder, or rotor, that you built will blow air if spun, but won't yet make any sound. For that, you'll need a stationary container, or stator, around the cylinder. Start with a piece of plywood, and cut a hole just a bit larger than the cylinder you'll be putting through it.

• Alternatively, if you can find a sturdy wastebasket of the correct size, cut a hole in the base of it. This will also provide a horn to amplify the sound.^[5]

Attach wooden pieces, spaced around the hole. Cut out wooden pieces with the same outer circumference as the hole you cut, and the same thickness as the "shark fins" you used in the cylinder. The goal is to end up with an outer rim with holes that will line up exactly with the cylinder's.^[6] Glue these around the hole and clamp until dry.

Mount the cylinder onto a motor. Fit the small hole at one end of the cylinder onto a motor shaft. This fit should be as secure as possible, so replace the motor shaft with one of a different size if necessary. A small siren may function on a hand-cranked motor, but larger motors will be required for heavy sirens.

• Never put your hand or any object on the cylinder while it is attached to a motor, even while it is not spinning.